Khartoum, May 24, 2026 (SUNA) – Sudan’s Commission for Refugees announced the launch of a comprehensive strategic plan to review refugee records and implement the “Foreign Number” system beginning next June, aimed at regulating population presence, verifying identity, and strengthening national security amid the complex security repercussions of the war ongoing since April 2023. Commissioner for Refugees Nizar Al-Tijani Ahmed Abu Al-Gasim said the new system seeks to address clear discrepancies in refugee statistics among various entities, noting that the current registry approved by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) exceeds 950,000 refugees. Abu Al-Gasim explained that registration and data collection are the exclusive responsibility of the Commission in cooperation with UNHCR and the Passports and Civil Registry Authority at the Ministry of Interior, paving the way for the issuance of smart cards carrying a “Foreign Number” to distinguish refugees from other foreign residents in Sudan. The Commission stated that the “Foreign Number” system had previously been implemented and is now being reactivated to update, verify, and integrate data with modern systems. The government aims through the measure to achieve two main objectives: managing national identity through updating and auditing population databases, and regulating population presence to support security and migration management and improve delivery of public services. Regarding eastern Sudan and legal status issues, Abu Al-Gasim disclosed that around 35,000 people in eastern states are currently classified as asylum seekers, adding that their applications will be reviewed and legally determined ahead of formal registration should they meet the required conditions. He stressed that the new procedures comply with Sudan’s 2014 Asylum Act as well as international and regional agreements, noting that the primary objective of the verification and smart card system is to guarantee humanitarian protection and ensure refugees enjoy their legal rights under state protection.BH/BH